Professional Transcription Services

Turn audio and video recordings into clear, accurate text that’s ready to use – whether you need it for research, publication, translation or subtitles.

80+ languages  •  Professionally reviewed transcripts  •  Secure & ISO 27001 compliant

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Speech-to-text technology is only the starting point

Automated speech recognition (ASR) can produce a transcript quickly, but it's rarely fit for purpose.

Specialist terminology, brand names, regional accents, overlapping speech and poor audio quality can all lead to errors. Punctuation and speaker identification may also need attention before the text accurately reflects the audio.

We select an appropriate workflow based on the language, recording quality, subject matter, confidentiality requirements and how you plan to use the finished transcript.

What the finished transcript looks like after professional review:

  • Misheard words, names and terminology corrected
  • Speakers correctly identified and labelled
  • Timestamps added
  • Punctuation errors eliminated
  • Fillers removed or retained as requested
  • Formatted for its intended use

Confidential, secure transcription you can trust

Audio and video recordings can often contain sensitive information. Transcription projects are managed within the same information security framework as our other services.

ISO 9001: A quality management system that ensures consistently high standards, project after project.
ISO 27001: Robust information security management, protecting confidential content at every stage.
Strict confidentiality protocols: NDAs as standard, secure file transfer, and encrypted storage throughout the workflow.

Foreign language transcription services

We manage transcription projects in more than 80 languages, using language professionals to produce an accurate transcript. We can also translate the finished transcript or use it as the basis for subtitles or voiceover.

Transcription services tailored to your requirements

Tell us how the transcript will be used, and we will recommend the most suitable level of detail.

Our default style

Clean verbatim

An accurate representation of what's being said
Removes stumbles and filler for easy reading
Recommended for business meetings and conferences

Strict verbatim

Includes utterances such as “um”, “uh” and “er”
Captures stuttering and filler phrases like “you know”
Notes environmental sounds – often required for legal proceedings

Edited verbatim

A polished version with improved grammar and tenses
Utterances and filler phrases are retained
Recommended when you need a transcript that’s both accurate and easy to read

Related services

Transcription often serves as the starting point for other multilingual content.

Legal translations

Contracts, policies and regulatory documents, handled with precision.

Learn more →

Subtitle translation services

Turn your transcript into subtitles for any audience, in any language.

Learn more →

Voiceover Services

Create engaging voiceover recordings in other languages.

Learn more →

Frequently asked questions

We can work with a variety of audio or video files, including .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .avi, .mpg and .wav files.

Transcription converts speech from an audio or video file into text. Typically, a transcript is provided in a Word document. We can also produce timed subtitle or caption files if these are needed.

Accuracy varies considerably according to the language, audio quality, number of speakers, accents, background noise and subject matter. That’s why we do not treat an automatically generated transcript as a finished product. A language professional reviews and corrects the text against the recording before delivery.

The cost depends on the duration and quality of the recording, the language, the number of speakers, the level of detail required and whether you need timestamps or other formatting. Send us your files or a representative sample and we will provide a quotation.

If your file contains multiple speakers, we can indicate this by order of appearance (Speaker 1, Speaker 2), include apparent genders (Female speaker 1, Male speaker 1), or refer to speakers by name if you're able to provide a list of participant names.

Yes. Once your audio or video has been transcribed, we can translate the text into any of our 80+ supported languages – a natural next step for multilingual meeting minutes, legal documentation or research findings.

Please tell us:
  • the language or languages spoken;
  • the approximate duration of the recordings;
  • the number of speakers, if known;
  • whether you need a clean, strict or edited verbatim transcript;
  • whether you'd like a fully human or AI-assisted workflow;
  • whether you need timestamps and/or named speaker labels;
  • any relevant names or specialist terminology; and
  • your required delivery date.
It also helps to know how you're planning to use the transcript – we offer professional subtitling and voice-over services too, and are happy to support you with the next steps.

Speak to Planet Languages about your next project

Not sure what type of foreign language transcription you need? No problem – get in touch and our experienced project managers will guide you through the process.

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